Hot water tanks are typically provided with protective devices for automatically shutting off the supply of gas to the burner when the burner flame is extinguished due to leaking water. However, there may be circumstances when the burner flame is extinguished and the gas continues to escape through the pilot light into the room.
Water heaters or hot water tanks, whether in residential or commercial buildings, are susceptible to failure in a manner when the water within the tank and water entering the tank will leak uncontrollably onto the underlying floor. Such flooding could cause extensive damage to the building and its contents particularly when the flooding occurs on a weekend in a commercial building or when the homeowner is absent from the building or house.
Because the water tank is often placed in a position remote from the water drain, serious damage can result to floors, floor coverings and to goods that are stored proximate to the leaking tank, if the tank is allowed to leak for a prolonged period of time. In addition, it is possible for the pilot light to go out and in certain cases for gas to escape into the house or building. Accordingly, there is a need for a simplified and improved safety fluid shut off valve mechanism which shuts off the water or other fluid supply to the water tank/heater, to a brine tank and to gas operated appliances when an undesirable water leak occurs. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a shut off valve mechanism which is actuated in response to an external stimulus such as, for example, escaping water or liquid from a domestic hot water system or tank or other vessel.